Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Pulling for Curtis

Curtis is a phenomenal musician and a real treasure for our city. The guy's a human box set of the best R'n'B of all time. He's battled all sorts of bad stuff before and come out on top. We wish him the best as he takes on this challenge. Apparently there's a change jar out to help fund some of his expenses -- that's worth a visit.

I imagine as a musican, he probably does not have health insurance...I hope that the donations will help with the bills and allow him the peace of mind to concentrate on getting healthy. My thoughts are with him and his family.

The Blues Brother "album" BETTER have been dedicated to Curtis. He was in Eugene playing when "Animal House" was being filmed and one night he looks down, and there's (obnoxious) John Belushi tugging at his shoe. He turned Belushi onto the whole blues thing and look what happened. Did Curtis ever go national? No, and he should have. Classic case of being ripped off by less talented, bigger stars. Sorry, Belushi was NOT a good singer! And Ackroyd, please, don't get me started. They could have had him on SNL at the very least. I knew Curtis very peripherally in the old clubbing days and wish him and his family the very best. God bless you, Curtis.

Thanks, Jack, he really is a great guy and deserves our help.
Randy, your kind words are heard. I pray for Curt and know that all of us can learn a lesson from his work ethic. He never missed a gig with us.
On the Blues Brother front, he really was the guy who turned them on to it. But to disparge Dan is not really constructive. Everyone uses other people to influence them. I hope we can keep this discussion upbeat.
Interestingly when we came back here in 85' they was no blues festival. I recieved a call from Mark Golbfarb and he asked if we would be interested in playing at this small event he was having at the waterfront. Well, after traveling around the country with John Lee Hooker, I had met up with Curt and we decided in New Orleans one night to come here and form a band.
That band became the Stilettos and played for 10 years all over the country.
Mark had called because he had no headliner and so I asked Hook if he would do it as a favor to me.
He showed, the concert drew 15-20,000 people and the rest is history.
It is really a shame that we cannot exploit the festival. It could turn into the NO Jazz Fest of the Northwest.
Can you imagine: small club gigs with Aaron Neville, jazz and blues of the highest order all over downtown, with special pioneer place gigs, sponsored by wineries, specialty brewers, etc....
Whoops, I think I went off topic.

Um sorry, I did not mean to disparage anybody or to take away from what the focus should be on - that Curtis is ill, has given so much to the community, and that now the community should give back. I just meant he could have received more credit or recognition or $ for the Blues Brothers thing. And that's all I know and I don't know much. Has a website or account been set up to send $ for treatment?

No Mazzacco, you are on topic ... where can we sign up to make that exploitation happen? Looks and the sounds are good to me.
And as a longtime Curtis and Stilettos fan since the day and back, how can we really do for the "Real Motorscooter" now?

Road Work

Miles run year to date: 155
At this date last year: 241
Total run in 2015: 271
In 2014: 401
In 2013: 257
In 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269